BC-ME--Maine News Digest, ME

Friday

Feb 1, 2013 at 2:15 PM

Maine at 2 p.m.

The breaking news staffer for Northern New England is Kathy McCormack in Concord, N.H., to be followed by Lisa Rathke in Montpelier, Vt., at 3 p.m. The breaking news staffer can be reached at 603-224-3327, then at 802-229-0577. The Maine correspondent is David Sharp in Portland. The Portland bureau can be reached at 800- 585-4656 or 207-772-4157.

For technical problems, please call 800-882-1408.

To reach the photo department, call 617-357-8106. AP stories, along with the photos that accompany them, can also be obtained from http://www.apexchange.com. Reruns also are available from customer support at 877-836-9477.

The e-mail address for member contributions is apmaine(at)ap.org.

LEGISLATIVE APPORTIONMENT

AUGUSTA — Republicans and Democrats were miles apart when they started congressional redistricting but ended up with a bipartisan plan two years ago. Both sides will see if they can come to terms again as they begin an even bigger process of redrawing Maine's 186 House and Senate district lines. A 15-member commission comprised mostly of Democratic and Republican legislators and party leaders got to work Friday to sort out timetables and criteria for their work through the winter and spring.

ALSO GETTING ATTENTION:

— MACHETE ARREST — Police have arrested a Maine man who allegedly threatened to kill his roommates with a machete.

— HIGH WINDS-MAINE — Maine utility companies are making progress as they restore electric service to customers who lost power when strong winds buffeted the state.

— GYMNASTICS CLUB-EMBEZZLEMENT — A Lewiston woman has pleaded guilty to embezzling almost $14,000 from a youth gymnastics organization where she volunteered as treasurer of the boosters club.

— PHARMACY ROBBERY — Police have made a second arrest in connection with a pharmacy robbery in Augusta earlier this month. Local police and FBI agents arrested 22-year-old Stephanie McCormick on Thursday at her Augusta apartment.

— HEATING FUEL THEFTS — Police in Livermore Falls are investigating three heating fuel thefts in the past few days. Chief Ernest Steward Jr. says two homes and a church have been hit.

— PAPER MAKER-LABOR — Electrical workers at a Skowhegan paper mill have rejected a new contract offer, setting the stage for a possible strike.

— MEDICAL MARIJUANA — Maine's medical marijuana program has a new manager.

— ROBO-SIGNING FINE — Maine will receive $500,000 as part of the $121 million multi-state settlement in a mortgage robo-signing case.

— UNITY-CLIMATE CHANGE — Unity College says it has become the nation's first college or university to tie every aspect of its curriculum to the mitigation of global climate change.

— MAINE GUBERNATORIAL — Democrat Steve Woods, who announced in November that he intends to run for governor, has filed paperwork with the Maine ethics commission to make it official.